Spring hinge construction

ABSTRACT

A spring hinge construction for an overlay door for a metal cabinet or other enclosure where the hinge provides the door with a positive closed position and a positive holding 90* open position, with the hinge having a toggle with an overcenter position for both the 90* open and the closed positions. The hinge includes an L-shaped cabinet wing and a channel-shaped door wing joined at a pivotal axis, an elongated toggle having one end adapted to project through a wall of the door wing during opening or closing movement and an enlarged opposite end engaging the cabinet wing adjacent the pivot axis. A compression spring encompasses the toggle with one end engaging the enlarged end of the toggle and the opposite end abutting the above-mentioned wall of the door wing.

United States Patent Feb. 1, 1972 Coe [54] SPRING HINGE CONSTRUCTION [72] Inventor: William II. Coe, Rockford, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc.,

' Peoria, Ill.

[22] Filed: May 7, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 35,460

[52] U.S.Cl ..16/l90 {51] Int. Cl. ..E05I H12 [58] Field ofSearch ..l6/190, 146, 164, 163

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,623,236 12/1952 Borchers et al ..l6/164 3,344,462 10/1967 Webster ...l6/180 2,779,967 2/1957 Braun ..16/l90 FOREIGN'PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l,ll6,647 2/1956 France ..l6/l90 Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant ExaminerDoris L. Troutman Attamey-Wilson & Geppert [5 7] ABSTRACT A spring hinge construction for an overlay door for a metal cabinet or other enclosure where the hinge provides the door with a positive closed position and a positive holding 90 open position, with the hinge having a toggle with an overcenter position for both the 90 open and the closed positions. The hinge includes an L-shaped cabinet wing and a channelshaped door wing joined at a pivotal axis, an elongated toggle having one end adapted to project through a wall of the door wing during opening or closing movement and an enlarged opposite end engaging the cabinet wing adjacent the pivot axis. A compression spring encompasses the toggle with one end engaging the enlarged end of the toggle and the opposite end abutting the above-mentioned wall of the door wing.

3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures SPRING HINGE CONSTRUCTION The present invention relates to a novel spring hinge construction and more particularly to a spring hinge providing a positive 90 open position and a positive closed position for the door of a cabinet or enclosure.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel spring hinge construction which provides a positive closing action for the door and yieldably retains the door closed and also provides a positive holding action to yieldably retain the door in an approximately 90 open position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a spring hinge construction for the door of an enclosure having an L-shaped cabinet wing and achannel-shaped door wing adapted to be located within a hollow metal door. A pivot pin is secured within and extends across the channel-shaped door wing adjacent one end thereof, and the L-shaped cabinet wing has a curled end on one arm of the L encompassing the pin. A toggle is positioned within the channel-shaped wing and is yieldably biased against the L-shaped wing. The toggle has an overcenter position acting to yieldably retain the door closed and a second overcenter position acting to yieldably retain the door in an approximately 90 open position.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a spring hinge construction with an L-shaped cabinet wing having a central opening at the bend of the L receiving an elongated toggle and a notch closely spaced to the opening adjacent the pivot pin. The channel-shaped wing has a transverse end wall with a slot receiving one end of the toggle. The opposite end of the toggle has a notched enlarged head engaging the notched portion of the L-shaped wing. A compression spring encompasses the toggle and has one end abutting the enlarged toggle end and the opposite end abutting the transverse wall of the channel-shaped wing.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the spring hinge construction of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the hinge.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the hinge in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the hinge in partially open position.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the hinge in open position.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the hinge showing its mounting in the door and cabinet.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the door hinge wing.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the cabinet hinge wing.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawing wherein is shown an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 discloses a spring hinge 10 including a door hinge wing 11 secured within a hollow metal door 12 (FIG. 6) and a cabinet hinge wing 13 which extends through the rear wall 14 of the door 12 and into and is secured within the hollow wall 15 of a cabinet or other enclosure. The door hinge wing is welded as at 16 into position within the door 12 and the cabinet hinge wing 13 is secured by suitable means, such as screws 17 within the cabinet wall 15.

The door hinge wing 11 has a generally channel-shaped body with a base 18 and parallel sidewalls 19,19 extending from the base 18 to terminate in outwardly extending mounting tabs 21,21 at right angles to the walls 19,19. Extending outwardly at right angles to and integral with the edges of the walls 19,19 are a pair of mounting flanges 22,22 having welding projections 23,23 thereon to allow the flanges to be projection welded to the interior surface of the rear wall 14 of the door 11. Spaced from the flanges 22,22 are a pair of inwardly extending limiting tabs 24,24.

The sidewalls 19,19 adjacent the mounting tabs 21,21 are provided with inwardly embossed areas 25,25, each containing an opening 26 spaced from the limiting tabs 24,24. The

openings 26,26 are aligned to receive a pivot pin 27 extending between the sidewalls 19,19 and headed at the ends outside of the walls 19,19. The pivot pin 27 provides the pivotal axis for opening and closing movement of the door 11.

The cabinet hinge wing 13 is an L-shaped member having a short arm 28 terminating in a curled edge 29 encompassing the pivot pin 27 and a long arm 31 joined by a bent portion providing a slightly greater than angle elbow. The long arm 31 has tapped openings 32,32 (FIG. 1) to receive the screws 17 securing the arm to the interior surface 33 of the cabinet wall 15. The bent portion of the member has a generally central opening 34 extending into both arms and terminating short of the curled edge 29 in a flat edge 35 having a central notch 36 formed therein.

Spaced from but aligned with the notch 36 is an opening 37, and the curled edge 29 is notched at 38 to receive and allow movement of the enlarged head 41 of an elongated toggle 39. The toggle 39 has an elongated body terminating at one end in the enlarged head 41 providing shoulders 42,42; the head being tapered from the shoulders 42,42 to an end having a central notch 43 separating spaced tips 44,44 (see FIGS. 3-5 The notch 43 engages a connecting band 45 between the notch 36 and opening 37 in the arm 28, with the tips 44,44 generally projecting into one or both of the notch 36 and the opening 37.

Encompassing the toggle 39 is a compression spring 46 with one end abutting the shoulders 42,42 on the enlarged head 41 and the opposite end abutting the base 18 of the door hinge wing 11. The base 18 includes a raised portion or embossment 47 acting to position the abutting end of the spring 46 and a slot 48 extending through the embossment 47 to receive the opposite rounded end 49 of the toggle 39.

In operation, FIGS. 3 and 6 show the hinge 10 with the door 12 in closed position; the toggle 39 being in an overcenter position relative to a line between the center of the embossment 47 and the center of the pivot pin 27 and acting to yieldably retain the door in closed position. Movement of the door hinge wing 11 relative to the cabinet hinge wing 13 to closed position is limited by engagement of the curved edge 51 of the opening 34 with the exterior surface of the spring 46 (See FIGS. 1 and 3). As the door is moved toward open position, the connecting portion 45 moves in an are around the pivot pin 27 and acts on the toggle 39 against the force of the spring 46 to urge the toggle into and through the slot 49 in the wall 18, with the toggle 39 pivoting approximately about the high point of the embossment 47. As long as the enlarged tog gle head 41 and the connecting portion 45 are on the right side of the centerline between the embossment 47 and the pivot pin 27, as seen in FIG. 3, the spring 46 tends to urge the door 12 back to its closed position.

When the longitudinal axis of the toggle 39 coincides with the centerline between the embossment 47 and the pivot pin 27 (as seen in FIG. 4) and passes beyond that point, the spring 46 now tends to urge the door 12 to its open position (seen in FIG. 5) where the door is at an approximately 90 open position. The limiting tabs 24,24 will engage the short arm 28 of the L-shaped cabinet hinge wing 13 to prevent any further opening movement. As the spring 46 urges the door 12 to its open position, the toggle moves substantially out of the slot 48 in the embossment 47 to provide the second overcenter position of the toggle 39.

To close the door, the movement of door hinge wing 11 and the toggle 39 is reversed. The opening 34 in the cabinet hinge wing and the slot or notch 38 in the curled edge 29 of the cabinet hinge wing 13 allow for movement of the toggle 39 during opening or closing movement. The portion 45 of the door wing 13 is coined at both sides in the notch 36 to provide greater ease of movement and a longer life cycle for the toggle 39.

Having thus disclosed my invention, 1 claim:

1. A spring hinge construction adapted to be mounted in a door and secured to an enclosure for the door, comprising a generally U-shaped hinge wing having outwardly extending mounting flanges thereon, a pivot pin extending across said hinge wing, a generally L-shaped hinge wing having a first arm terminating in a curled edge encompassing said pivot pin and a second arm, said L-shaped hinge wing having a central opening at the elbow thereof and said first arm having a notch at the edge of the central opening and a spaced opening therein adjacent the curled edge, an elongated toggle having an enlarged head providing a pair of shoulders and a notched end fonning a pair of spaced tips adapted to be received in the notch and spaced opening and engaging the L-shaped hinge wing adjacent the pivot pin and an opposite free end, and a compression spring encompassing said toggle and bearing against the shoulders of the enlarged head, said U-shaped hinge wing having a base opposite to and parallel with said pivot pin, said base having an embossment formed thereon providing a projection centering the end of the spring bearing thereon and a slot extending across said embossment and receiving the free end of said toggle to project therethrough, said toggle having opposite overcenter positions relative to the centerline between said embossment and said pivot pin providing the two extreme positions of the door relative to the enclosure.

2. A spring hinge construction as set forth in claim I, in which the notch normally engaged by the toggle has a coined edge for ease of movement of the toggle during opening or closing movement of the hinge 3. A spring hinge construction as set forth in claim 1, in which said central opening at the elbow of the L-shaped wing extends into the first arm and the second arm and the edge of the central opening in the second arm of the L-shaped hinge wing engages the spring to limit closing movement of the door relative to its enclosure. 

1. A spring hinge construction adapted to be mounted in a door and secured to an enclosure for the door, comprising a generally U-shaped hinge wing having outwardly extending mounting flanges thereon, a pivot pin extending across said hinge wing, a generally L-shaped hinge wing having a first arm terminating in a curled edge encompassing said pivot pin and a second arm, said Lshaped hinge wing having a central opening at the elbow thereof and said first arm having a notch at the edge of the central opening and a spaced opening therein adjacent the curled edge, an elongated toggle having an enlarged head providing a pair of shoulders and a notched end forming a pair of spaced tips adapted to be received in the notch and spaced opening and engaging the L-shaped hinge wing adjacent the pivot pin and an opposite free end, and a compression spring encompassing said toggle and bearing against the shoulders of the enlarged head, said U-shaped hinge wing having a base opposite to and parallel with said pivot pin, said base having an embossment formed thereon providing a projection centering the end of the spring bearing thereon and a slot extending across said embossment and receiving the free end of said toggle to project therethrough, said toggle having opposite overcenter positions relative to the centerline between said embossment and said pivot pin providing the two extreme positions of the door relative to the enclosure.
 2. A spring hinge construction as set forth in claim 1, in which the notch normally engaged by the toggle has a coined edge for ease of movement of the toggle during opening or closing movement of the hinge.
 3. A spring hinge construction as set forth in claim 1, in which said central opening at the elbow of the L-shaped wing extends into the first arm and the second arm and the edge of the central opening in the second arm of the L-shaped hinge wing engages the spring to limit closing movement of the door relative to its enclosure. 